Rocky Mountain Power Construction
Brighton’s Big Dig
In case you haven’t noticed Rocky Mountain Power has an active project in Big Cottonwood Canyon to put electric and fiber lines underground. The project is intended to mitigate wildfire risk and improve system resiliency.
It’s been a loud, dusty, and disruptive summer for everyone in the canyon. However, I believe this project is a generational investment in Brighton’s future and the crown-jewel of Mayor Knopp’s tenure. The long-term benefits will far outweigh the short-term inconvenience.
At the September 8 project update, 64 people attended in person and another 85 joined online – solid proof of how important this project is to our community.
My thoughts on the project are:
- Please be patient: this is a difficult project in an inhospitable environment. Give the crews a break – they’re working hard out there.
- Wildfire prevention: the largest and most destructive wildfire in California state history, the 2018 Camp Fire, was caused by a single faulty hook on an electric company transmission line. Undergrounding power in Brighton dramatically reduces our wildfire risk.
- Reliable power: when the system goes live the only time we will have a residential power outage if someone digs into an underground line or a car wrecks into a junction box.
- Accountability: contractors should restore roads, yards, and landscaping to original condition and take responsibility for damages,
- Fiber ownership: the town owning the fiber optic cables enables us to control the future of our canyon internet service.
- Long term responsibility: this is a multi-year effort. The next mayor will face the challenge and responsibility of ensuring its successful completion.
- Don’t pray for snow(!): If ever there was a season to want a late winter, this is it.
What do you think? Let me know.